Valve for steam-engines



'IIIIIIIIIII DE WITT C. HARLOW.

VALVE FOR STEAM ENGINES.

Patented Mar. 10

(No Model.)

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VALVE FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIPICATIOI" forming part of Letters Patent No. 313/196, dated March 10, 1885.

Application filed January 93, 1384.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DE WITT O. IIARLOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chippewa Falls, in the county of Chippewa and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Valve, of which the following, in com nection with the annexed drawings, is a specifieation.

My invention relates to oscillating conical valves used in steam-engines instead of the slide-valve; and it consists in novel means, hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed, by which said valve is balanced and made to wear evenly and for a longer period oftime thantheunbalancedvalvesoitheabovenamed class.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal longitudinal central section of 'a steam-cylinder provided with four of my balanced valves. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through two opposite valves at one end of the steam-cylinder. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the said valve. Fig. 4 is a section of the valve and valve-seat in the line of the sup ply-passage of the balancing steam, and Fig. 5 is a sectioni n the line of the exhaust-passage of the balancing steam.

A represents a steam-cylinder; B, a piston; O O O O", steam and exhaust chests, and D D D D steam-valves of like construction. Steam-ports a a a a" are provided at the ends of the steam-cylinder for the purpose of admitting and exhausting steam, as will be seen. The steam-chests O C may be united by a pipe, 0 which connects with a supply-pipe, G, and the exhaust-chests .C C may be similarly united and connected with an exhaust-pipe. I

The steam and exhaust chests are each provided with a conical shell -bearing, 0, into which the conical valves D D D D" are fitted. The ports a a a a open into said shell-bearings, as shown. Two diametrically-opposite ports, 0, standing at right angles to the ports a aa a are provided in the shell-bearings c for the purpose of letting steam into the valve. The valves are provided with passages cl and d, standing at right angles to one another and having the same area as the ports 0 a, and when the valves are fully open for the purpose of admitting steam to the engine the passages (No mo lei.)

(Z tally with the ports c',and the passages d tally with the ports a.

At the back of the passages d asmall passage, (2 is provided, which leads to a depression, 0', in the inner surface of the shell-bearing c. This depression is of the same-area as the passage d' and stands opposite the ports a a a a. The steam is conducted away from the depression c by a passage, (P, in the conical valve, which passage, at every oscillation of the valve, tallies with a passage, a in the ports a a a a The said passage (2 connects with a depression, (2, on the outer surface of the conical valve, which depression serves to establish communication between the passages d and a before they stand in line with each other, whereby steam communication is established between the cylinder and the depression 0 as soon as the supply-steam is cut off from the steamcylinder.

In the exhaust-valves D D the action of the steam reverses the above-described operation, and the balancing steam is admitted through the passages a (1 into the depression 0* while the exhaust-port of the cylinder is closed up by the valve, and the steam is exhausted from the depression 0 through the passage a while the exhaust-valve is open and permits the steam to leave the cylinder. The valves D D D D are provided with shanks (P, to which arms d" are attached for the purpose of operating them. The valves are longitudinally adjusted by means of and between setscrews E. lhese set-screws are secured in plates or brackets e 6, attached to the steamchests, and by means of these set-screws the valves can be so adjusted that the friction and wear of the valves and valveseats are reduced to a minimum.

In the drawings the ports of the cylinder, valve, and valve-seats are strengthened by stays f; but this means of strengthening may be omitted in smaller engines.

The cylinder shown in the drawings is of unusual length, owing to the construction of the steam-chests, and therefore the cylinderheads are of suitable form in order to fit the long recesses of the cylinder and provide proper end abutments in line with the cylinderports.

The steamchests may be bolted to the I00 cylinder, or they may be cast solid with the same; but in the latter case the end portions or tops of the steamchests must be removable in order to admit tools for finishing the ports in the shell-bearings c.

It will be seen that my valves are at all positions balanced, inasmuch as there is steam admitted into the depressions c of the valves D D D D as long as there is steam in the cylinder, and as soon as steam is exhausted from the cylinder the depressions c are also exhausted; and inasmuch as the ports 0 are diametrically opposite each other and the steampassages d in the valves occupy a central po' sition in the valves, the valves are balanced in a line parallel with the cylinder.

I am aware that oscillating conical steambalanced valves with longitudinal or axial adjustment have been in use; but my invention is essentially different from all of them inasmuch as, first, the ports of my valve are, as shown and described, peculiarly constructed and the ends of the valve are closed and free from binding contact upon the ends of the steam-chest, while the bracketsce, holding the adjustingscrews E, do not require packing around the valve-stem, and may be so constructed as to admit the atmospheric air to the said ends of the valve and permit ready access to the valve and its chest; second, the set-screws E are so isolated as not to be exposed to the corroding action of steam, while they are accessible from the outside of the chest, and by this construction the longitudinal adjustment of the valve by means of the setscrews E, which becomes necessary from time to time, is convenient and positive, and any adjustment necessary can be effected immediately and with very little labor. With knownconstructionsrequiring packingaround the valve-stem, the central adjustment of the valve is often interfered with by reason of the packing fitting very tight and the valve being more or less forced from its central position by non-uniform settling of the packing material, and owing to this the valve becomes leaky unless it is forced. into 1ts valve-seat with a much greater strain than is required with my arrangement, which dispenses with the use of packing. When set-screws for 10ngitndinal adjustment of such valves are exposed to steam, they corrode and diminish in length, and this necessitates frequent adjustment; and as it is necessary, in order to get access to these set-screws, to often remove portions of the steam-engine, much delay and expenditure of extra labor are experienced.

What I claim'as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An oscillating hollow conical valve, D, having solid closed ends, passages d d d, and a stem, d at one end, in combination with a suitable valve-seat having open ends, a passage, a, a depression, a, and ports a a a and c c a, and with brackets e e, and central outside set-screws, E. for longitudinal adjustment of the valve, substantiallyas described.

2. An oscillating valve receiving steam by means of two diametrically-opposite ports and delivering it by means of one port standing at a right-angle to the receiving-ports, in combination with a valve-seat having three similar ports, two diametrically opposite andcommunicating with the steam-chest and one at a right angle communicating with the steam-cylinder, substantially as described.

3. The combination of an oscillating valve having two. diametrically-opposite receivingports and one delivering-port at a right angle thereto, with a suitable valve-seat having similar ports, and an automatic balancing steamchainber opposite its delivering-port, said balancing steam-chamber having alternate connection with the valve-ports and the steamcylinder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

DE \VITT G. HARLOW. WVitnesses:

DANIEL BUCHANAN, J r., L. D. BRUESTEZ. 

